Elden Ring: How to Beat Maliketh, The Black Blade

FromSoftware‘s fans have undoubtedly been diving deep into Elden Ring, the developer’s latest title that features not just an open-world, but an open-world that is full of dangerous threats. Outside of the usual mobs that can easily take players down, there are a ton of bosses that offer a great challenge and can be tough to beat. If you are looking for some help, here’s our guide on how to beat the Maliketh, The Black Blade in Elden Ring.

How to Beat Maliketh, The Black Blade in Elden Ring

Despite the size of this boss, it moves with an agility that is downright terrifying. The boss fight is also broken up into two phases, just to keep players on their toes throughout.

You will first meet Maliketh as the Beast Clergyman, which will be familiar to anyone who has visited Gurranq at the Bestial Sanctum in Caelid. As we always recommend, having a good defense goes a long way in surviving in Elden Ring, and it is the same for Maliketh/Beast Clergyman.

First of all, move into the arena first to avoid falling off the sides at the entrance, and it is also smart to have an upgraded shield to ward off its attacks, together with strong armor. Just make sure you are still on Medium Load so you can roll if need be. If you have it, equipping the Icon Shield or Blessed Dew Talisman for passive health regeneration is a good move.

Phase 1

Start off the fight by summoning your best Spirits, such as the Mimic Tear, and prepare to fight conservatively. The boss will unleash rapid flurries of attacks, so your window of opportunity is quite small. If you see the Beast Clergyman start dragging its dagger in the ground, watch out for the incoming uppercut and dodge accordingly.

At range, be sure to time your dodges to avoid its rocks or incantations, the same goes for the area-of-effect attack with the boulders. Anytime you need to avoid those ranged attacks, make use of the pillars around you. This will give you some breathing space, but the boss will likely catch up to you fast.

Use sorcery, Bleed, or Scarlet Rot damage to reduce the Beast Clergyman to 50% of its health, and we enter Phase 2.

Phase 2

Now you will face the real Maliketh in Elden Ring, imbued with the power of the Death Rune. Now, the boss brandishes a large greatsword and is even faster than before.

The good news is that its attacks are more obvious, giving you more time to dodge. The bad news is that they do damage over time, which is where passive health regeneration comes in handy. Dodging will also be better than blocking, so keep that in mind.

For attacks, watch out when Maliketh jumps into the air, and dodge the projectiles that are coming your way. If the boss stabs its sword into the ground, it will be using an area-of-effect attack, so move out of the immediate area. You should also avoid getting too near Maliketh if it starts to roar to avoid being stunned.

As usual, do not get greedy with attacks and use the status afflictions to your advantage. Hitting Maliketh with enough attacks to eliminate its poise can stagger the boss, so take your critical hit if the chance presents itself. Again, you can use the pillars as cover if need be. It will take some time, but you will eventually put Maliketh down like all the other bosses.

That is all there is to it when it comes to learning about how to beat the Maliketh, The Black Blade in Elden Ring. Be sure to also check out our guide wiki to learn more important details about the game, including the list of all bosses in the game, upgrading your Spirit Ashes summons, and getting to Nokron, the Eternal City.

If there are any questions that you might have that are not answered, please leave them in the comments below and we will get back to you as soon as we can!